Chapter 481: Chapter 480: Second day
Just when it seemed like a stalemate, the demon army appeared to receive an order as they slowly retreated.
The humans breathed sighs of relief upon seeing this as they hurried back toward the city walls and immediately began setting up camps and temporary tents.
---
At the other side...
A few kilometers away from the city, Nuk stood beside Mikel while observing the scale in his hand. His face was filled with both disappointment and realization.
The scale could not absorb souls infinitely.
Its limit was only five thousand souls.
But for Nuk, that was already more than enough to break through to Peak Rank 0.
Still, he was not in a rush.
After all, if he broke through now, he would become far more noticeable. That Rank 1 demon and the powerful experts within this world would likely notice him instantly, and he might be sent directly to the frontline battlefield.
Although it sounded like a good opportunity to contribute more toward the destruction of this world and fulfill one of the requirements for advancing to Rank 1, Nuk understood it was actually a trap.
The inhabitants of this world would never allow him to grow freely.
The moment he became too dangerous, countless experts would target him immediately.
So his current plan was simple.
Keep a low profile for now.
It did not take long before the demon army finally returned.
Seeing them once more, Mikel still could not fully get used to their presence. Part of him feared they would attack him instantly.
But clearly, he had been overthinking.
Nuk handled everything calmly with a simple smile.
The demons merely stopped nearby before resting silently on the ground. By now, most of their injuries had already healed, causing Nuk to frown slightly.
They ignored Mikel entirely because traces of demonic blood already flowed through his body. At the very least, they could now consider him one of them.
However...
Their numbers were concerning.
Nuk quickly noticed that ten demons were missing.
This surprised him greatly.
Humans seemed weak compared to demons, yet they had still managed to kill ten members of his army.
He was impressed.
"We rest tonight," Nuk spoke calmly as he turned toward Mikel.
Hearing this, Mikel nodded slowly, though his gaze never left the demons surrounding them.
---
Back at the human camp...
Night had finally fallen as the battlefield slowly became quiet.
The growls of demons faded into the darkness, leaving behind only the crackling sounds of bonfires burning across the plains.
Mountains of corpses covered the battlefield while rivers of blood flowed through shattered earth.
The surviving soldiers stood frozen for several moments, almost unable to believe they had survived the nightmare battle against the demon army.
"We survived..."
A soldier muttered weakly before collapsing onto his knees.
And he was not the only one.
Across the battlefield, exhausted soldiers slowly lowered their shields. Many had broken arms, while others had lost fingers, eyes, or entire limbs.
Yet despite everything...
Hope had finally appeared.
They now understood one important truth.
The demons were not invincible.
They could bleed.
And if they could bleed...
Then they could die.
Today, ten demons had fallen.
---
Far in the distance...
For the demons, today’s battle had not gone the way they expected.
The humans had adapted far faster than anticipated.
Unlike demons, humans did not rely solely on claws and brute strength. They used weapons, formations, strategies, and teamwork.
Their weapons were sharp enough to injure demons when enough force was applied behind them.
They could shift formations instantly and coordinate large groups efficiently.
Nuk’s crimson eyes swept calmly across the exhausted demon army.
Even the middle-level demons appeared irritated.
"We continue tomorrow," Nuk spoke calmly.
No demon objected.
Nuk then turned around while carrying the scale. Together with Mikel, he walked deeper into the darkness.
Meanwhile, on the human side, soldiers quickly began dragging away corpses and building temporary defenses.
Large fires were lit all around the camp.
Groups of soldiers sat around them silently.
No laughter could be heard.
No celebrations.
Only exhaustion remained.
The smell of blood and burned flesh still lingered heavily in the air as many soldiers lowered their heads in silence.
At the center of the camp, the General sat inside a large tent alongside several Martial Warriors and commanders.
Maps covered the table before them.
"The shield formations worked," one commander spoke.
"But only against the low-level demons."
"The middle-level demons still break through too easily," another added grimly.
The General nodded slowly.
"The chains were effective too," he muttered.
"Especially when combined with the spear units."
One of the Martial Warriors clenched his fist tightly.
"We killed ten demons today."
"But we lost one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers."
Silence filled the tent instantly.
No one felt proud hearing those numbers.
Still...
At least they had learned something from today’s battle.
"We are not trying to win the battle," the General finally said with a tired sigh as his exhausted eyes swept across everyone present.
"We are trying to win time."
Everyone remained silent.
"Our families left the city only earlier today. The civilians, children, supplies..."
"They could not have traveled far."
"If those monsters pursue them directly, all our sacrifices will become meaningless."
The General paused briefly before continuing.
"If we fall now..."
"Then everyone behind us dies."
The atmosphere instantly became heavy.
One of the older commanders sighed deeply.
"So we continue delaying them?"
"Yes."
"We hold them here for as long as possible."
Another commander frowned slightly.
"At this rate... maybe we can last a week."
Hope slowly appeared across several faces.
A week...
Perhaps that would be enough time for the civilians to reach one of the greater cities.
At this point, survival was the only thing they could pray for.
Eventually, the meeting ended.
Outside, soldiers took turns standing guard throughout the night, fearing the demons might launch a surprise attack.
But the attack they expected...
Never came.
The night passed quietly.
Only the sounds of crackling fire and the distant cries of wounded soldiers occasionally echoed through the darkness.
Morning soon arrived.
A cold wind swept across the battlefield as both armies slowly emerged once more.
The humans immediately tightened their formations.
Compared to yesterday, they looked far more organized. Massive shield walls formed rapidly while long spears lined every opening.
Archers stood prepared behind them while chain units hid between the lines. The Martial Warriors stood silently at the front.
Soon enough, the demon army appeared alongside the rising sun.
Growls echoed across the battlefield as the earth trembled beneath their feet.
Yet this time, the humans did not panic.
Instead, they looked forward to the deaths of more demons.
"Hold formation!"
"Do not break ranks!"
The General’s voice echoed loudly.
Boom!
The battle began once more.
The demons smashed violently into the shield walls as several soldiers were sent flying instantly, vomiting blood from the impact.
But unlike yesterday, the lines did not collapse immediately.
"Chains!"
Swish!
Massive chains suddenly wrapped around several demons’ legs.
"Spears!"
Hundreds of spears pierced forward simultaneously.
Black blood splashed across the battlefield.
The demons roared angrily.
One demon ripped apart over ten soldiers instantly before a Martial Warrior slashed deeply across its chest.
Another demon charged forward wildly only for explosive barrels hidden beneath corpses to detonate beneath its feet.
Boom!
The explosion blew apart one of its legs.
"Now!"
More than fifty soldiers rushed forward fearfully before stabbing repeatedly toward its eyes and throat.
Although over half of them died moments later, the demon eventually collapsed.
A loud cheer erupted instantly.
"They killed another one!"
The soldiers’ morale rose rapidly.
The demons, however, became increasingly furious.
Growls echoed everywhere as they charged harder and harder.
Yet the humans continued adapting.
Whenever a shield wall weakened, another instantly replaced it.
Whenever demons broke through one side, reserve units immediately surrounded them.
The Martial Warriors also stopped fighting alone and instead coordinated directly with the army.
Hours soon passed.
The battlefield became increasingly brutal as corpses piled higher and higher.
The humans still died in enormous numbers, but their casualties were drastically reduced compared to yesterday.
The demons had expected another complete slaughter.
Instead, they found themselves repeatedly stalled as even the low-level demons slowly became exhausted.
Their breathing grew heavier while several scales cracked apart from repeated attacks.
Some even carried arrows lodged deep within their bodies.
More importantly...
They were frustrated.
These weak humans simply refused to collapse.
"Hold the line!"
"Push them back!"
"For the city!"
The humans roared loudly despite their exhaustion.
Hope had appeared within their hearts.
The demons could be stopped.
Not defeated...
But at least delayed.
By evening, fifteen demons had finally fallen.
The cost was still horrifying.
Nearly one hundred thousand soldiers had died throughout the day.
But compared to yesterday...
It was a massive improvement.
As the sun slowly began setting once more, the demon army finally retreated again.
This time, cheers erupted instantly across the battlefield.
"We survived again!"
"We stopped them!"
"We can do this!"
Exhausted soldiers laughed weakly while others collapsed onto the ground crying.
Some hugged their comrades while others simply stared blankly at the setting sun.
The General stood silently atop the ruined battlefield.
His armor was drenched in blood while one arm hung uselessly by his side.
Still...
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"At this rate..."
"We might truly last a week."
